


The Transfer

by RegentOfTheAuxArcs



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade, World of Darkness (Games)
Genre: Bad Flirting, Chantry Politics, F/M, Jealousy, Mild Voyeurism, Multi, No Smut, Senses, Snippets, Telleyvellic Shit, Tremere Shit, Vampires, Writing Exercise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 18:55:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13576860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegentOfTheAuxArcs/pseuds/RegentOfTheAuxArcs
Summary: A scholar from the Carpathians arrives to fill out the Chantry. Estevez is territorial.(Mostly an exercise in show/tell balance tbh)





	The Transfer

The doorbell chimed across the house. Dr. Eugenio Estevez, professor of occult sciences and Regent of this new place, looked up from his monograph but made no move to deal with it. In all likelihood, the guest was the very person he was penning paperwork about earlier: Ignacio Grim, a scholar from the Carpathians, not exactly someone the Pyramid enjoyed. He was of an icky bloodline and very young to boot, as well as looking like a straight-up reprobate, tattoos, head shaved on the sides, leathers. Really, the only reason to keep him around was his scholarship of their enemies, which was really useful in a time like this when Sabbat raids happened as often as barbeques in summer. Efficiency, first and foremost. He could set aside his own feelings on the matter.

Eugenio resumed his work, parenthetical citation rote, spacing out for a moment to focus his supernaturally enhanced senses outside of the room. He struggled for a minute to clear his head, honing in on a familiar scent to focus. Black orchids mixed with pears, honey, and the sultry warmth of amber—it was Ginger, formerly one of his students, currently his girlfriend, definitely his favourite creation of all time. Her low heels clicked on the marble floor of the foyer. 

“Hey there, how’s it going? I have to see your papers before I let you in.”  
“Yes, they are here. You see my passport and transfer document. I have no driving license yet.”  
“Looks cool to me. So you’re Ignacio. I’m Ginger. I’m the newest apprentice here. Gen-uh, Mr. Estevez is the highest-ranking Regent, but he’s indisposed at this time. Come in, please.”  
The bump-and-roll of a wheeled suitcase, the stale sweat of being trapped in coach seating mixed with some spicy cologne, nearly worn off, a scuffling sound Eugenio knew well, that of leather-soled shoes on marble.

Her footsteps were brisk coming down the hall in front of his office. For a second, her perfume overpowered his half-smoked stogie. He tapped it on the ashtray, leaned back, closed his eyes.  
“This is his office. He typically leaves the door open when it’s okay to visit, otherwise, you know, I just steer clear of it and boop him on Facebook if I need something.”  
“Facebook. I do not have one.”  
“We’ll set you up one. It’s pretty necessary here.”  
“The internet at my old home was not existent.”  
She giggled.   
“Well, America is great like that. There is internet like everywhere. You don’t have to go into town to the coffee shop anymore.”  
“It seems I no longer must go to town to visit with beautiful women either.”  
She stopped and gave a half-laugh, not unlike when Eugenio brought her to dinner with his colleagues and she felt out of place.

“Here’s the library. It’s open always, just maybe try to keep it neat. I have to keep it up. Books don’t leave the mansion for any reason. Seriously, I will light you on fire if I find out one of the books left.”  
Eugenio smiled and resumed his smoke. A faint throb began behind his left eye, but he continued his work as well as eavesdropping.  
Monitoring, he told himself. Grim is new. It’s about security.

The two scaled the first flight of stairs. Despite the thumping of the annoying suitcase, Eugenio listened for their words.  
“This first level is the apprentice rooms. Mine is here. Each floor has a communal bath and laundry room. But honestly, I sneak into the Regent’s pretty often, that one is way nicer. That’s the one you’ll be using, I think.”  
“All the better. I am not accustomed to living with others. It will be adjusting. It is the three of us living here, yes?”  
“Right now. We’re just starting out. You’re the first so far, but Mr. Estevez is actively recruiting more accomplished scholars and occultists. He doesn’t feel like taking on additional apprentices other than me right now, but once I’ve ranked up, that could change. There’s a lot of good talent with the university being right here.”  
“You seem to have much talent.”  
“Thanks. I haven’t even shown you what I can do yet.”  
“I have no doubt it will be spectacular.”  
Up another flight of stairs. Eugenio had to strain a bit more to listen, but the headache would recede with a heavier smoke and maybe a glass of cognac spiked with some nice AB- from the fridge. He made a mental and post-it note for himself to clearly label his private stock in there.

“Is this my floor?”  
“Yes. Genie’s room is here at this end. Yours is farthest from the stairs.”  
“Genie? You are very familiar, then?”  
“Uhm, sorry,” she giggled, hand caught in the cookie jar. “It’s just been us here for a while. It’s…complicated.”  
“Complicated? You are a complicated woman, then?”  
More nervous chuckling.“I wouldn’t say that. Look, here’s your room. Drop off your case and we can go see the baths. It’s huge.”  
Finally that stupid noise would be over. It was too much work trying to listen over it.

“Ow, shit!”  
Some sort of scuffle and a thump.  
“Are you hurt, Miss Ginger?”  
“No, I always…damn it, my stupid heel gets caught in the thing. Where the wood turns to tile. Every time.”  
“Ah, this is more like my home. It is lovely.”  
“See? God, the whirlpool tub in here is awesome. I do all the laundry right now, so just shove it in the chute and I’ll get around to it.”  
“I see. He treats you as the help?”  
“No! It’s nothing like that. We can’t just hire anybody. I’m cool with it, really.”  
“In my home, the villagers are all aware of the nature of the gift. So there is no secret.”  
“Well, we can’t do that here. The last thing we need is a bunch of dumb college students thinking they can play Harry Potter in our mansion and blowing the place up.”  
She laughed, he didn’t.

Eugenio sucked down the warm cognac and willed his words into Ginger’s ear.  
“I think he’s had the tour, baby. Come on down to my office and let him wander.”

“Anyway, enjoy your stay. If you need anything, just ask.”  
Her steps came closer, his farther away.

He let his senses return to normal upon hearing her knock.  
“Need something? I just kind of left him up there.”  
“He’s a big boy. He can find his way around.”  
Understanding dawned on her face.  
“Oh, come on. He’s my age, sure, but he’s no you.”  
She rolled her eyes, he patted his knee.  
“Remind me why you’re with this weird old man.”  
“Forty-five isn’t old.”  
"You're short a fair amount of years, you know."  
"Does it matter? You don't look a day over it. Now stop."  
She closed and locked the door behind her and kissed away any doubts he might have had.


End file.
